STAR Awards
SHPE proudly recognizes and celebrates its SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Award recipients each year during the SHPE National Convention.
These prestigious awards honor outstanding professionals and students for their dedication, commitment, and selfless efforts to advance Hispanics in STEM careers. The STAR Awards also recognize a company and government agency for demonstrating significant, measurable, and visible assistance to further SHPE’s programs as well as Hispanics in STEM. Please join us at the National Convention to honor and recognize all of our award winners!
Do you know someone who should be honored with a STAR Award? Please look for the nomination application in early Spring. If you would like further details, please email [email protected].

SHPE proudly recognizes and celebrates its SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Award recipients each year during the SHPE National Convention.
Do you know someone who should be honored with a STAR Award? Please review the information below and submit your nomination by July 15.

2023 Call for Nominations
Do you know a STAR in STEM?
Do they also represent SHPE’s values of familia, education, service, and resilience? If so, we hope you’ll nominate them for a 2023 STAR Award!
2022 STAR Award Honorees

Company of the Year
Cummins, Inc.

Government Agency of the Year
National Security Agency

Hispanic ERG of the Year
ExxonMobil Global Organization for the Advancement of Latinos

Rubén Hinojosa STEM Award
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, California

Rubén Hinojosa STEM Award
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Texas

Rubén Hinojosa STEM Award
Congressman Tony Cardenas, California, U.S. House of Representatives

Rubén Hinojosa STEM Award
Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, Florida, U.S. House of Representatives

Jaime Oaxaca Award
Nora E. Rincon
General Motors

Rodrigo Garcia Founder's Award
The Garcia Family

Dr. Ellen Ochoa Award
Joelle C. Romeu
The Boeing Company

Advisor of the Year
Julieta O. Vallejos
Florida International University

Community Service Award
Mónica Morales, PE
Jacobs

Corporate Achievement Award
Carlos L. Enllanche
Chevron

Diversity Award
Maira Garcia
Honeywell Aerospace

Educator of the Year - K-12
César Alejandro Llontop Barahona
New London Adult & Continuing Education

Hispanic in Technology Award - Government
Rudy J. Garcia
Sandia National Laboratories

Innovator Award
Dr. Marvi A. Matos Rodriguez
The Boeing Company

Manager of the Year
Gerardo Zúñiga Guerra
Medtronic

Professional Role Model Award
Lázaro Herrera
General Atomics ASI

Promising Engineer Award
Hector Sabillon
John Deere

SHPE Star of Today
Gabriela Michel Sánchez-Sorondo
General Motors

SHPE Star of Tomorrow
Milena Nino Sowell
ExxonMobil Corporation

Student Role Model Award - Undergraduate
Justin J. Arbaiza
California State University Northridge

Student Role Model Award - Graduate
Adriana Mulero-Russe
Georgia Institute of Technology

Young Investigator Award
Dr. Yvonne J. Diaz
Dow, Inc
2023 STAR Awards Brochure
The 2023 STAR Awards nominations deadline is July 15, 2023!
Company of the Year
GE
Government Agency of the Year
Air Force STEM
Hispanic ERG of the Year
Dow
Jaime Oaxaca Award
Ernesto “Ernie” Felix
Intel Corporation
Rodrigo Garcia Founder’s Award
Rodrigo T. Garcia
SHPE Founder
Dr. Ellen Ochoa Award
Melanie L. Weber
The Boeing Company
Advisor of the Year
Dr. Lizzie Santiago
West Virginia University
Community Service Award
Frances J. Gonzalez
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Corporate Achievement Award
Lesly Caridad VanDen Heuvel
Kimberly Clark
Diversity Award
Esther Ledesma Pumarol
Medtronic
Educator of the Year – Higher Education
Christopher Hernandez, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Hispanic in Technology Award – Government
Capt. Cristian Hernández Rivera
Air Force Research Laboratory
Innovator Award
Dr. Kenneth Miguel Armijo
Sandia National Laboratories
Manager of the Year
Leopoldo Hernandez Jr.
Bechtel Corporation
Professional Role Model Award
Jasmin Vanessa Guerrero
Raytheon Technologies
Promising Engineer Award
Leilani C. Rebolledo
Chevron Corporation
Renaissance Engineer Award
Fernando Rosario
Exeqpath
SHPE Star of Today
Dr. Carlos A. Escobar
General Motors
SHPE Star of Tomorrow
Monica Ochoa
The Boeing Company
Student Role Model Award – Graduate
Adrian Dávila
Virginia Tech
Student Role Model Award – Undergraduate
Andrea Lastra
University of Houston
Young Investigator Award
Julibeth Martinez De la Hoz
Dow, Inc.